THE GROUP OF SEVEN

Founded in 1920, the original Group of Seven included Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Frank Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H MacDonald and Frederick Varley. Tom Thomson, a commercial artist and avid outdoorsman, was included in this circle of friends, but due to his untimely death in 1917 he never became an official member of the Group. However, he was important to the other artists, as he awakened their interest in painting the rugged northern Ontario countryside.

The Group of Seven travelled throughout Ontario exploring the unique character of Canada’s wilderness regions, sketching the landscape and developing distinctive techniques to represent it through their works of art.

As a result, the Group became recognized as pioneers of a new, Canadian school of art and most famous for their paintings of the Canadian landscape.

From its birth in 1920 to the early 1930s, the Group of Seven were immensely influential. Their final exhibition was held in 1931. Yet, their legacy continues to this day.

Today, these men are among Canada’s most famous artists. For many, their works have come to symbolize what is clearly a Canadian identity – the beauty and uniqueness of the Canadian landscape.

Here is a list of the artists. Note that there have been several additions to the group since its inception.

Franklin Carmichael
A.J. Casson
L.L. FitzGerald
Lawren Harris
Edwin Holgate
A.Y. Jackson
Frank Johnston
Arthur Lismer
J.E.H. MacDonald
Tom Thomson
Frederick Varley

View 33 of the Group of Seven's beautiful works of art here.

Two other very popular and well known Canadian artists are, Emily Carr and Donald Flather.